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NEW YORK – Donald Trump used an affidavit in a case filed by his sexual assault accuser E. Jean Carroll to continue to call her a liar and to claim he is mentally ill, denying he sexually assaulted her, even though he falsely claiming that Carroll said in a CNN interview that she enjoyed being raped.
In rambling and combative testimony during an October session at Mar-a-Lago, Trump reiterated earlier claims that he did not know Carroll except as an adversary in what he called “cheating” litigation, saying that it was a “crazy job”. who was making up the story entirely.
“I don’t know anything about her,” he said in response to questions from Carroll’s attorney, Roberta Kaplan, according to court documents released Friday. “I think she’s sick. Mental illness.”
The former president twisted Carroll’s comments from a June 2019 interview with CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, in which she said she avoided calling her alleged encounter with Trump “rape” because the word “has so many sexual connotations” and is a “fantasy” for many.
“I think most people think rape is sexy,” she told Cooper, according to a transcript of the interview, explaining that she instead thinks of his alleged attack as a “fight.”
Trump cited the interview as telling Kaplan that Carroll “loved” sexual assault.
“She indicated she loved it. Well?” Trump said in the statement. “Actually, I think he said it was sexy, didn’t he? He said it was very sexy to be raped.”
Kaplan then asked, “So, sir, I just want to confirm: Is it your testimony that E. Jean Carroll said she enjoyed being sexually assaulted by you?”
And Trump replied, “Well, based on his interview with Anderson Cooper, I think that’s what happened.”
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Carroll, an author and advice columnist, publicly accused Trump in 2019 of raping her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in the mid-1990s. He has a pair of lawsuits pending against him in federal court in Manhattan, the first alleging defamation over Trump’s comments in 2019 to trash her and her account, and the latter for the alleged sexual assault itself.
Trump has denied ever meeting Carroll, although he was photographed with her and her husband at an event decades ago.
On Friday, U.S. District Court Judge Lewis A. Kaplan rejected a bid by Trump’s lawyers to dismiss Carroll’s sexual assault lawsuit, which was filed under a New York law that allows sexual assault victims ask years later.
Trump’s lawyer, Alina Habba, said she will appeal the judge’s decision not to dismiss the most recent case. A spokesman for Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign declined further comment.
The D.C. Court of Appeals is considering whether the Justice Department can represent Trump as a federal employee, a long-running legal dispute that has been heard by multiple courts and could effectively end defamation lawsuits.
Kaplan has scheduled an April trial date for both lawsuits.
Portions of Carroll’s statement in the defamation suit were already part of the public record. On Friday, Judge Kaplan, who is not related to Carroll’s lawyer, ordered that parts of Trump’s deposition be released in a separate decision. That decision followed a proposal by Trump’s lawyers to keep the previously redacted section sealed.
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The statement shows a full display of Trump’s trademark. He complained to Roberta Kaplan, the attorney, that he had to “waste an entire day asking you these ridiculous questions” and said he would sue both Carroll and his attorney “after this is over.”
He also incorrectly insisted that Truth Social, the social media website he launched in response to his disciplinary removal from Twitter, was more successful than mainstream sites like Twitter, TikTok and Instagram. Truth Social, whose audience has grown since its rocky launch, still lacks the reach of other apps on the market.
Kaplan asked Trump during the deposition to list the times he has called an event a “hoax,” something he has said about Carroll’s accusation. “Russia’s deception Russia Russia … Ukraine Ukraine Ukraine’s deception,” Trump replied, apparent references to federal probes into Russian interference in the 2016 election and Trump’s alleged meddling in the disbursement of funding military of Ukraine during his term. He listed several others and said of the legal proceedings initiated by Carroll: “This is also a hoax.”
When asked directly if he had ever sexually assaulted or touched a woman’s private parts without consent, his lawyer objected and Trump responded.
“Well, I’ll tell you no, but it’s possible that some people like your client are lying,” Trump said.
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At least 17 women have come forward with allegations that Trump physically touched them inappropriately, many of them supported by people who said at the time. Trump has repeatedly denied the allegations.
During the 2016 campaign, The Washington Post obtained a 2005 recording of Trump bragging about unwanted kisses and palpitations on the set of the TV show “Access Hollywood.” Trump apologized for what he called a “locker room joke.”
Carroll’s lawsuits are part of a slew of legal problems looming over Trump as he tries to return to politics. Earlier Friday, Trump’s company was ordered to pay a $1.6 million fine for tax crimes by two longtime executives, following a conviction at trial in December. There is still a separate civil lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James accusing the company of manipulating property values for tax benefits.
Trump is also under federal investigation for his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election and his mishandling of classified documents recovered from Mar-a-Lago, his Florida club and home. Also, a special grand jury investigating election interference in Georgia has submitted its report, which a judge will decide whether to make public and authorities will use to decide whether to file charges.
Since announcing his candidacy a week after the 2022 midterm elections, Trump has avoided major public events, choosing instead to host several galas at Mar-a-Lago and broadcast conferences by video. His campaign is planning a smaller event in South Carolina later this month instead of one of his signature rallies.
Trump has faced a growing chorus of criticism from Republicans who blame him for the party’s disappointing performance in the midterms, with former House Speaker Paul D. Ryan stepping in with a Thursday interview on CNN that he called “Proven Loser” Trump.
Trump’s early announcement did not result in overwhelming Republican endorsements or scare off other candidates, as a handful of other potential challengers continue to make more overt moves to launch their own campaigns. Some early polls have shown Trump trailing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.